Greeted with hugs and tears, nearly 100 Utah National Guard members return home after a Middle East deployment
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune)
Samantha Taylor embraces her husband, Specialist Alex Taylor, as almost 100 Soldiers from Utah Army National Guard’s Echo Battery, 1st Battalion, 145th Field Artillery, “Big Red” return after a 10-month Middle East deployment, on Tuesday April 9, 2019 at Wright Air Base in Salt Lake City.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune)
Specialist Porter Black is welcomed home by his wife Taylor as almost 100 Soldiers from Utah Army National Guard’s Echo Battery, 1st Battalion, 145th Field Artillery, “Big Red” return after a 10-month Middle East deployment, on Tuesday April 9, 2019 at Wright Air Base in Salt Lake City.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune)
Sergeant First Class Thomas Crocker is welcomed home by his children Anabelle, Kaidin, and Bryson as almost 100 Soldiers from Utah Army National Guard’s Echo Battery, 1st Battalion, 145th Field Artillery, “Big Red” return after a 10-month Middle East deployment, on Tuesday April 9, 2019 at Wright Air Base in Salt Lake City.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune)
Sergeant Chris Jackson is welcomed home by his wife Kalee and daughter Emma as almost 100 Soldiers from Utah Army National Guard’s Echo Battery, 1st Battalion, 145th Field Artillery, “Big Red” return after a 10-month Middle East deployment, on Tuesday April 9, 2019 at Wright Air Base in Salt Lake City.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune)
Staff Sergeant Sean Sullivan is welcomed home by his wife Kim and children Mae and Simon as almost 100 Soldiers from Utah Army National Guard’s Echo Battery, 1st Battalion, 145th Field Artillery, “Big Red” return after a 10-month Middle East deployment, on Tuesday April 9, 2019 at Wright Air Base in Salt Lake City. Sullivan's mother Ilean at left.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune)
Sergeant Chris Jackson is welcomed home by his wife Kalee and daughter Emma as almost 100 Soldiers from Utah Army National Guard’s Echo Battery, 1st Battalion, 145th Field Artillery, “Big Red” return after a 10-month Middle East deployment, on Tuesday April 9, 2019 at Wright Air Base in Salt Lake City.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune)
Family members wait for a plane carrying almost 100 Soldiers from Utah Army National Guard’s Echo Battery, 1st Battalion, 145th Field Artillery, “Big Red” to land after a 10-month Middle East deployment, on Tuesday April 9, 2019 at Wright Air Base in Salt Lake City.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune)
Sergeant First Class Thomas Crocker is welcomed home by his children Anabelle, Kaidin, and Bryson as almost 100 Soldiers from Utah Army National Guard’s Echo Battery, 1st Battalion, 145th Field Artillery, “Big Red” return after a 10-month Middle East deployment, on Tuesday April 9, 2019 at Wright Air Base in Salt Lake City.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune)
Family members wait for a plane carrying almost 100 Soldiers from Utah Army National Guard’s Echo Battery, 1st Battalion, 145th Field Artillery, “Big Red” to land after a 10-month Middle East deployment, on Tuesday April 9, 2019 at Wright Air Base in Salt Lake City.
Nearly 100 soldiers from Utah’s National Guard returned home Tuesday morning almost a year after deploying — and they were greeted by smiles, hugs and a few tears.
The state’s Echo Battery, 1st Battalion, 145th Field Artillery, nicknamed “Big Red," served a 10-month mission to the Middle East, providing security support and conducting artillery missions. They deployed last June. Capt. Jared Sorensen, commander of the group, said the job was “an opportunity to become better trained, better educated and stronger both physically and mentally.”
The guard members arrived at the air base in Salt Lake City just after 9 a.m. and were quickly surrounded by family and friends.
Support free news for Utah
sltrib.com is now free to access — no subscription required. We made this decision because we believe access to trustworthy, independent news shouldn’t depend on what you can afford — especially as misinformation and AI-generated content continue to rise.
Free to read doesn’t mean free to produce. Our reporters show up every day to ask hard questions and hold powerful institutions to account. That work takes resources. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on support from people who believe it matters. Make a donation today to fund local news that serves Utah communities.
You can help us bring more local news to more communities today.